What a day.

It started in the dark before dawn, in a downpour. We packed our sodden tents and gear, and said our goodbyes. I watched Ken's taillight as it faded away, just as the sun made it's encore through what we decided, the night before, were chestnut trees.

After a brief glance at the map I headed out towards the Tennessee border. I figured that wearing my leather vest under my raingear would be a novel hot weather solution, but the wind whipped raingear flogged my triceps mercilessly. I thought a midget with a cat-o-nine-tails had hijacked my luggage rack.

I stopped at a coffee shop to recalibrate an hour later and the following conversation with an elderly local gentlemen commenced:

"Where ya'all heading, son?"

"To the Grand Canyon, sir."

"Well, that's quite a ways. You coming from Lovell?"

"No sir, I'd don't think so. Not sure I've heard of it."

"Lovell? Back there." He pointed down the highway.

Lightbulb: He's saying "Louisville".

I spent nearly an hour with him and his vet buddies, them telling me stories and me nodding and trying to keep up with their pronunciation.

As I left, another old fella in the restaurant piped up and asked me if I knew Jesus, because if I didn't I sure should, riding around in the rain. I assured him and his friends that Jesus and I were tight, which made them all smile in unison.

I rode on, drenched, through Tennessee, and hit the Mississippi intent on marking my first sighting of that mighty river with a picture. The bridge was festooned with 'no stopping' signs and numerous State Patrol cars, so I decided to pass on the pictorial.

Crossing into Arkansas, I snapped a shot.

The weather alternated between rain and about to rain. I followed Highway 412 all day, ever westward. It snaked through all my favourite America - the quaint towns with tidy brick homesteads, the strip mall towns, the quiet expanses of wild empty space.

For a long while I followed a silver pickup, and at a long train crossing I learned his name.

The train passed and as I rounded a bend the Crow snarled. I glanced to my right and saw why.

The two sat and stared at one another for a while, while I took advantage of a break in the weather to remove my raingear. The hours buzzed by. I saw an "Arkansas State Rest Stop" sign and made the most of it, lying in the parking lot for a quick snooze.

The western half of the 412 is spectacular. Long sweeping curves through the Ozark Mountains, great road surface, courteous drivers.

12 hours after my day began I succumbed to fatigue and found a cheap hotel in Huntsville. I laid out all my wet gear in the parking lot, hoping to dry it out for tomorrow.

Then off to the gas station for a snack... and found these. Blueberry and Strawberry flavored almonds. Dang! So good. Why don't we have these in Canada???

I'm so looking forward to sleep. Tomorrow it's another new place on the globe I've never seen: Oklahoma.